In various electronic apparatuses, such as a mobile telephone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), an automated teller machine (ATM), a car navigation system, a digitizer of a computer, and a remote control, an input device through which an operator inputs information has been used hitherto.
As such an input device, an input device has been proposed in which feedback on an information input operation is given to an operator by means of vibration when the operator performs the input operation by pressing the input device (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-021697).
Another input device has been proposed in which feedback on an input operation of information is given to an operator in accordance with the type of the information when the operator performs the input operation by pressing the input device(for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2004-094389).
In recent years, various apparatuses have been required to have higher performance. As one method for increasing the performance of the apparatuses, an input device has also been required to reduce power consumption and improve operability.
That is, while conventional input devices can give feedback on an input operation to an operator by means of vibration, they consume much power because a control panel or a support substrate for supporting the control panel is vibrated entirely.
Moreover, since the control panel or the support substrate for supporting the control panel is entirely vibrated in the conventional input devices, the control panel is vibrated, regardless of which position is operated for input. Therefore, it is impossible to determine whether the input operation is proper, and an input error of performing an input operation on a position different from a correct position sometimes occurs, for example, an adjacent input position is pressed inadvertently. That is, operability is low. This input error becomes more remarkable as the area of the operating portion decreases.
Accordingly, an object is to provide an input device that can easily reduce power consumption and improve operability.
The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and an object of the invention is to provide an input device that can easily reduce power consumption and improve operability.